Books for kids, teens, & those who are young at heart

Category: MuseItUp (Page 11 of 12)

Quest of the Hart by Mary Waibel

Please welcome fellow Muse author Mary Waibel as she interviews Prince Devlin from her YA fantasy Quest of the HartBased on the interview, this book feels like it’s going to be action-packed. Mary is giving away a copy of the book while on her blog tour. Use the rafflecopter below to enter!

Cover Quest of the Hart 300dpiMe: Welcome, Prince Devlin.

Devlin: Please, call me Devlin.

(He smiles, his silver eyes shining like coins, and I barely hold back a sigh.)

Me: Oh, well, thank you so much, Devlin, for taking time away from your duties to chat. I’m sure you have so much to do, with your wedding just a week away. And speaking of your wedding, I have a few questions about Princess Kaylee.

D: I’ll answer what I can, but I only have a few minutes. Kaylee and I are going for a ride soon.

Me: I’ll be as quick as I can, then. So, how did you and Kaylee meet?

D: We have an arranged marriage. In fact, until a few days ago, I’d never seen her. But, now that I have, I can say she’s wonderful. Kind, caring, smart, funny. Did I mention beautiful?

(Princess Arabella saunters in during his descriptions and groans.)

Arabella: Please, isn’t there anywhere I can go in this castle where it isn’t Kaylee this and Kaylee that? I thought it was bad when it was Devlin this and Devlin that. Things will be different before the day is out, though, I promise you that.

D: What do you mean?

A: Nothing. Aren’t you supposed to be out riding with Kaylee?

D: Oh, yes. I’m late. It was very nice meeting you. I hope you enjoy the wedding.

(Devlin leaves, and Arabella smirks.)

A: Not if I have anything to say about it.

(She slinks from the room.)

Me: Well, I guess we’ll just have to read Quest of the Hart to see what that was all about!

Quest of the Hart blurb:

A reverse Sleeping Beauty tale where the princess goes on the quest to save the prince.

Princess Kaylee has never had to fight for anything. Her entire life has been arranged, even her marriage. But when Prince Devlin falls under an enchantment, she finds she is willing to do anything to save him, even if it means fighting a dragon.

Devlin’s own sister, Princess Arabella, is behind the deadly plot. She wants the throne and will use any means necessary to gain it. Her perfect plan unravels, leaving Devlin caught in a magical sleep that is slowly spreading through the kingdom of Breniera. All Arabella needs to finish her spell and claim the crown is a drop of Kaylee’s blood, but obtaining the single drop is proving more difficult than expected.

To save her betrothed, Kaylee embarks on a quest to find an ancient sword and gather a drop of dragon’s blood, while trying to stay out of Arabella’s traps. But Arabella’s traps aren’t the only danger. Time is everything. For once the last inhabitant of the kingdom falls asleep, the spell will be sealed, and not even true love’s kiss will break it.

Quest of the Hart can be purchased at the MuseItUp bookstore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5SvEAbFQtE

Author Photo- Mary WaibelAbout the Author:

Mary lives with her husband, son and two cats. When she isn’t twisting fairytales, she enjoys reading, playing games, watching hockey, and camping. Her debut novel, Quest of the Hart, will be available from MuseItUp Publishing April 19, 2013. The Lost Princess, a companion novel, will be available from MuseItUp Publishing in August 2013. You can find Mary Waibel at:

http://marywaibel.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/authormarywaibel

@mewtweety14 (twitter)

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Meet Kris Rutherford author of Nothin’ But Net

Today reluctant reader turned writer Kris Rutherford shares a little bit about his writing process. You can read my review of his middle grade sports story Nothin’ But Net over on Goodreads. Welcome, Kris, and happy book b-day!

altCan a Reluctant Reader be a Decent Writer?

by Kris Rutherford

First, let me get out one shocking fact.  I don’t read much. Never have. Yep. There it is. It’s been said by many that any writer has to “read, read, read” to be successful. Well, I wouldn’t exactly say I’m successful, but I have published several articles, two fiction books, and I have a contract for a non-fiction book in hand. But, I don’t read a whole lot more than the sports page and internet news. Sure, I like to peruse books on subjects I’m interested in, but “peruse” is the key word. Read them cover-to-cover? Seldom.  And, fiction?  Blechhh. I don’t have the time or energy.

So, how did someone who has spent little time reading and, I swear, never “curled up with a book,” end up as a youth sports fiction writer? Well, my dad was an English professor, so when I was a kid, a bit of reading was compulsory.  But, I wasn’t about to read something in which I had no interest. A novel based on a movie I had already seen was always a great option, but the novel had to be written after the movie, not the other way around. I didn’t want anybody to ruin a great movie by changing it up on me. Plus, I liked the option of skipping over the boring parts. Aside from these classic works of fiction, though, my interest was in sports. In fact, I had few interests beyond sports. I watched them incessantly, regardless of the game or season. Curling intrigued me as much as football. I’d even watch sports on the French language channel beamed into Southern Maine from Quebec, despite the fact my knowledge of French went no further than Huckleberry Finn’s “Polly-voo-franzee” (I saw the Disney version of Huckleberry Finn sometime in the mid-70s at the local drive-in, and I admit I did read—or maybe skim—the book for ninth-grade English. Personally, I found Twain’s version a little disappointing).  Regardless, my young life revolved around sports—watching and playing (with limited ability and even less success).

As far as youth sports fiction is concerned, I chose to read it for two reasons:  1) I was interested in the subject matter; and 2) Even the longest work seldom exceeded 200 pages (for purely psychological reasons, I preferred to read of less than 100 pages, but I made exceptions in the case of sports).  My influences were probably the same as most sports-minded kids of the 70s—Matt Christopher and Alfred Slote. I loved Christopher’s play-by-play narrative and the wide variety of sports he covered. “The Kid Who Only Hit Homers” and “Return of the Home Run Kid” remain favorites to this day. But, for me, nothing could top Alfred Slote. “Hang Tough, Paul Mather” has to be my favorite book of all-time. The main character is a Little League baseball pitcher battling leukemia but refusing to give up his favorite sport despite the risks involved. At the time I read the book, I was having some weird medical issues of my own, so maybe I thought Paul and I had something in common. Slote’s masterpiece still resonates to this day, and I even reread it on occasion some 35 years later. “My Father, The Coach” is probably my second favorite Alfred Slote work.

When I come up with an idea for sports fiction, I usually try to pluck some small memory from the back of my mind and build on it. From the perspective of a sports nut who had limited athletic ability, my main characters are typically athletically-challenged or have a flaw in their game.  In my first novel, “Batting Ninth” (Enslow Publishers), the main character was a great fielder but a lousy hitter. In “Nothin’ But Net,” Blake Creekmore is about as unathletic as they come. But, his best friend is the school’s top athlete. Their rather awkward relationship and lack of common interest forms the basis for the story.

I also like to include an adult or two in each story, at least one of whom is not a great role model. My pet peeve growing up was overbearing baseball parents. In fact, in college my original intention was to become a city parks and recreation director in order to fix everything wrong with youth sports, which, in my opinion, focused generally on the adults. I soon found, however, that many of the adults who run youth sports don’t want them fixed.  Local youth sports associations have become adult hobbies. As one journalist wrote many years ago, “Youth sports teach kids games adults play.” I love to weave the stereotypical “little league parent” or coach into my plots.  Call it an outlet for my frustration.

Finally, as far as my writing process is concerned, I may break, or at least fracture, the mold most writers follow. When I sit down at the computer, I hold my sliver of a childhood memory and a general idea of my theme and how I want the book to end. But, everything between the first and last paragraph is an open slate. I seldom outline, don’t think too much about supporting characters until I find a need for them, and choose plot direction and subplots on the fly. For me, this process has generally been successful. While I do “revise, revise, revise” (as opposed to “read, read, read”), my initial plot usually holds up. I’ve become used to limited word counts—Lord knows I was a fan of them as a kid—and I keep these counts in mind as I’m writing. If I see a subplot consuming too many words, I hit the delete button and redirect toward the final target. My revisions normally focus on flow and, of course, mechanics.

Oh, and I only write in the first person. I’m a conversational writer. I find third-person extremely awkward and a hindrance to my sense of humor, cynicism, and sarcasm. But, I assure you there is not a touch of sarcasm in what I’ve written here. I’m not a reader, and I never have been. I’m a writer. Kind of weird, huh?

Nothin’ But Net blurb:

Blake Creekmore just cost his middle-school basketball team its shot at the district championship—and he’s not even on the team. Blake would much rather be at a Boy Scout meeting than any sporting event. He convinces his best friend Dustin, the school’s star athlete, to join him in an afternoon on the lake, where tragedy strikes. Dustin is injured and lost for the season, and Blake bears the blame of the team, the coach, and his classmates.

Battling his guilt, Blake seeks refuge in the activity he knows
best—bass fishing and enjoying the outdoors. With the support of his father, a local bait shop owner, and a most unlikely character, Blake learns the importance of friendship and what it takes to be a member of a team. And, in the process, he unwittingly teaches his classmates a few lessons about life and the environment as well.

Nothin’ But Net is available on the MuseItUp bookstore and Amazon.

About the Author:

Kris Rutherford has been a recreation and natural resources management professional for nearly 25 years and has been involved in youth sports as a player, volunteer, coach, and administrator his entire life. He holds a Master of Agriculture from Colorado State University and majored in Recreation Administration at Arkansas Tech University.

Nothin’ But Net is Kris’ third published book. He has also authored the youth sports novel Batting Ninth and a non-fiction work, Homeseekers, Parasites, and the Texas Midland: The Texas League in Paris, 1896-1904. In addition, he has published a number of articles in professional Recreation and Parks and Municipal Government journals.

Kris has held positions with Arkansas State Parks and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and currently serves as Grants Officer for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. He lives in Maumelle, Arkansas, with his wife and three children. For more about Kris and his books visit his website.ague in Paris, 1896-1904. In addition, he has published a number of articles in professional Recreation and Parks and Municipal Government journals.

Meet Tammy Lowe Author of The Acadian Secret

Please welcome fellow Muser Tammy Lowe and her tween adventure The Acadian Secret to the blog today.

The Acadian Secret 200x300Thanks for having me on your blog Katie.

What made you want to become a writer?

Oh, this will no doubt illustrate what a dork I am.

As a kid, I loved to read books and watch shows like Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables.  I loved anything set in the “olden days”.

When I was about ten years old, I began to wonder about time travel.  My biggest wish was that I’d end up back in the pioneer era.  I wanted to go and hang out with spoiled Nellie Olsen.  I don’t remember why I wished for Nellie over Laura Ingalls, but I think it had something to do with the fact that her parents owned the candy shop.

I had it all figured out.  I didn’t want to live in the 18th or 19th century; I’d miss my family too much. And I can’t live without modern comforts.  I wanted the freedom to travel back and forth through time.

My wish to time travel was so strong; I even dressed the part, as much as I could, without raising anyone’s suspicions.  I wore dresses to school every day, when all my friends wore jeans and t-shirts. I had to be prepared just in case it worked and I was whisked through time. That summer, I even begged my mom to buy me a bonnet. She did. I wore that white bonnet everywhere. If I ended up in Walnut Grove or Avonlea, I was prepared.

By the sixth grade I was old enough to realize that time travel probably wasn’t going to be a reality for me, so I decided when I grew up, I’d write a story about a girl who could travel back and forth through time.

What books had the most influence on you while you were growing up?

I remember reading Judy Blume books under the blankets with a flashlight, well past my bedtime. I felt like such an adult as I read, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.

So many authors influenced me when I was a young girl, from Roald Dahl and L.M. Montgomery to Stephen King and Sidney Sheldon.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring two books and one movie, what would you bring?

Easy question!  My two books would be Anne of Green Gables and Jane Eyre.  The movie would be The Sound of Music.

And, if you weren’t peeking…I’d try and sneak in a copy of The Hunger Games too.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? What is your least favorite part?

The first draft is my least favourite part of the writing process. I find it hard trying to get the ideas out of my head and onto the page.  I love to go back and polish it up in the editing stages.

What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?

When you “think” you are finished your novel, put it away for at least six weeks and forget about it.  When the time comes to take it out again, sit back and re-read the entire manuscript. Take notes. You will see a million mistakes and plot holes. Everything that isn’t working will jump out at you. It will be a cringe-worthy read, but you’ll be glad you put it away instead of sending it out.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I’d love to be able to time travel.

And fly.

And have an invisibility cloak.

And…oh, just one?  *grin*

What is something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally share with others in an interview?

In a scene out of a rom-com, I was on a date with my boyfriend (who is now my husband).  One summer afternoon, he took me out on his boat and down the Niagara River.  We stopped for a romantic little lunch on the patio of a restaurant overlooking the water.

He tied his boat up to the dock, held out his hand and helped me climb out.  We walked up to the patio, took a seat, and ordered lunch.  Everything was perfect.

Little did we know there was police surveillance on the fancy boat we had parked next to.

And little did we know police thought WE had just walked off of that boat.

So, we are enjoying lunch, when I clue in that all around us, something is going on.  I watch unmarked police cars pull up.  They are looking at the boats. They are looking up at us.  I then go into full panic mode as I realize they are doing a stake-out on us!

The way we were seated, I was watching it all unfold, but my boyfriend had his back to it.  Not seeing what was going on, he of course thinks I’m completely off my rocker.

Crazy new girlfriend alert!

So, I have to convince him that this is all true. I’m not nuts and he needs to go and fix the situation.  I’m shaking like a leaf and in tears. My boyfriend walks down to where the police officers are and returns about five minutes later.

Yup.  I was right. They were doing a stake-out on us, thinking we arrived on the other boat.

We finished our meal and left. We have been married for twenty years now, but that was probably our most memorable lunch date.

The Acadian Secret blurb:

Elisabeth London is keeping her new friends a secret from her parents.  Not only do they live on the other side of the world in the Scottish Highlands, they lived more than three hundred and fifty years ago. Her mom and dad would never allow her to go gallivanting about seventeenth century Scotland.  They won’t even let her go to the mall by herself yet.

Twelve-year-old Elisabeth is old enough to know there is no such thing as magic, but when her quartz crystal necklace has the power to transport her back and forth in time, she no longer knows what to think.  The only thing she is certain of is that she loves spending carefree days with Quinton, the mischievous nephew of a highland warrior, and sassy little Fiona, a farmer’s daughter.

However, Elisabeth’s adventures take a deadly turn when she is charged with witchcraft.  At a time and place in history when witch-hunts were common, those found guilty were executed, children included. Elisabeth must race to find her way back home, while trying to stay one step ahead of the witch-hunter determined to see her burned at the stake.

tammyloweA little more about the author:

When she isn’t writing, you will either find Tammy Lowe surrounded by little children and covered in glitter and glue, or on some grand adventure: inside an Egyptian pyramid, twirling on an Alp or climbing the Great Wall of China. She’s part Mary Poppins, part Indiana Jones.

Tammy lives in Cambridge, Ontario with her husband and their teenage son. Find her at www.tammylowe.com and her book at the MuseItUp bookstore

Writing as a Team by Troy H. Gardner and Erin Callahan, Authors of Wakefield

There’s still time to enter the giveaway for a three chapter critique from me or a signed copy of Elixir Bound. Right now please welcome Troy H. Gardner and Erin Callahan, authors of Wakefieldbook one in the Mad World series, as they discuss working as a writing team.

How can two people write a novel together?

We get that a lot. Though it’s not a method suited for all authors, team writing can have significant benefits. Collaborative writing provides you with a built-in editor, sounding board, and cheerleader who has a deep understanding of your plot and characters. Many authors bounce ideas off friends or loved ones, but there’s only so much someone can offer if he or she doesn’t know the entire landscape of the book or series. When you feel frustrated and drained of ideas, your writing partner can provide a fresh perspective and a creative boost. For those looking to give it a shot, we’ve culled a few practical pointers from our experiences.

1. Avoid teaming up with your creative twin. Though it’s tempting to pick a writing partner with a similar style and interests identical to your own, it pays to branch out. We have some overlapping tastes, but the diversity of our interests expands the creative pool that we pull from. Erin reads a lot of YA fiction and Troy is heavily influenced by comic books and horror movies. We also complement and balance each other’s writing strengths. Troy excels at realistic dialogue and big picture stuff, like crafting interesting and relatable characters that serve as the emotional core of each book. Erin tends to focus more on world building, fleshing out the setting, and developing themes. Troy gets a rush from writing a first draft, while Erin enjoys revising and tightening the story.

The best writing partner is someone you can work with without wanting to kill, but who also brings a variety of influences and ideas to the table and thrives in the areas that don’t come naturally to you.

2. Develop a process that works for your team. Though there are countless systems for team writing, we’ll explain our process. We utilize alternating narrators and each write from a different perspective. Before beginning each book, we create a chapter by chapter outline that contains only basic notes on what we need to accomplish in terms of plot advancement and character development. That gives us a lot of breathing room when it comes to filling in the details of each chapter. Once we have a first draft, we pass it back and forth and revise it until we have something we’re both happy with (the Track Changes feature in Word is incredibly useful for team revising).

This is, of course, just one way of doing it. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, authors of the wildly popular Beautiful Creatures series, don’t use alternating narrators. They use a single narrator and co-write almost everything. That sounds incredibly daunting to us, but apparently it can be done.

3. Balance work with talk. Having lengthy conversations with someone who understands you, your writing, and the ins and outs of your project is one of the primary benefits of team writing. Time spent actually writing is crucial, but don’t forget to take advantage of the opportunity to engage in exploratory discussions with your writing partner. Some of our best ideas have emerged from long talks about our characters, goals, themes, and influences. Sometimes our conversations are serious and sometimes they feel like goofing off, but they almost always lead to idea generation.

Discussions can also help ensure your team is on the same page. During one conversation, we realized that we had completely divergent ideas when it came to a particular character. The conversation put us back on the same wavelength so we could tackle some of the inconsistencies that had popped up in our manuscript.

4. Be honest. You can’t have a successful writing team unless you both learn to give and take criticism. When we began writing together, we often shied away from harsh critiques because we didn’t want to hurt each other’s feelings. But the more often you give and take criticism, the easier it gets and the better your writing gets. Our first manuscript began to improve dramatically once we got over our fear of being entirely honest with each other.

At the same time that you provide an honest critique, you can also be a cheerleader. Point out scenes, descriptions, or snippets of dialogue that you think work particularly well or had you rolling around on the floor with laughter. Sometimes we are our own harshest critics and consider canning great ideas until someone points out they’re not trash. For example, Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy co-wrote Waiting For Guffman. Guest felt his performance wasn’t funny and nearly cut himself out of the film until Levy informed him that his character, Corky St. Clair, was a hilarious highlight. The comedy might not have become a classic without the two working in tandem.

As a final note, keep in mind that unless you plan on editing, proofing, designing the book layout, creating the cover art, and self-publishing the story you wrote, then you’re going to work with someone, or an entire team, at some point. Team writing provides excellent practice for the collaborative aspects of publishing.

If you have questions or want more info on our team writing process, please feel free to email us at madworldseries@gmail.com. Best of luck, collaborative writers. Go team!

Wakefield blurb

Orphans Astrid Chalke and Max Fisher meet when they’re sent to live at Wakefield, a residential and educational facility for teens with psychiatric and behavioral problems. Astrid’s roommate cuts herself with anything sharp she can get her hands on and Max’s roommate threatens him upon introduction.

Just as Astrid and Max develop a strong bond and begin to adjust to the constant chaos surrounding them, a charming and mysterious resident of Wakefield named Teddy claims he has unexplainable abilities. Sometimes he can move things without touching them. Sometimes he can see people’s voices flowing out of their mouths. Teddy also thinks that some of the Wakefield staff are on to him.

At first, Astrid and Max think Teddy is paranoid, but Max’s strange recurring dreams and a series of unsettling events force them to reconsider Teddy’s claims. Are they a product of his supposedly disturbed mind or is the truth stranger than insanity?

Wakefield is available at the Amazon and other ebook retailers. For more about the Mad World series visit the series website or Facebook page.

GardnerCallahanAuthorPhotoAbout the Authors:

Erin lives with her husband in the bustling metropolis of Hooksett, New Hampshire, and works for the federal government. She enjoys reading and writing young adult fiction, playing recreational volleyball, and mining the depths of popular culture for new and interesting ideas. A year after graduating from law school she found herself unemployed and took a job as a case manager at a residential facility similar to the one featured in Wakefield. Though she worked there for only a year and a half, the strange and amazing kids she met will forever serve as a well of inspiration.

Troy grew up in Sunapee, NH, and graduated with a B.A. in English/Communications with a dual concentration in film and writing from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He spent ten years working in the banking industry dreaming up numerous stories to write. When not writing, Troy keeps mental notes on the various stories he wants to tell.

Elixir Bound in Paperback!

Elixer_Bound_300dpiAfter all the teasers, the day has finally arrived for my Elixir Bound announcement. And the big new is…*Drum roll*…Elixir Bound will be coming out in paperback later this year (not a definite date set, but it’s looking like June or July)!

You all know I’m a big fan of ebooks (I read on my Nook and my phone all the time), but I’m jumping for joy at the prospect of Elixir Bound in print. I hope it means my story will reach new readers. And I mean, what author doesn’t want to hold their book and fan through the pages?

In honor of this joyous occasion, I’m doing my first ever Rafflecopter giveaway. What can you win? Either a 3 chapter critique by yours truly (because I know lots of writers read my blog) or a signed copy of the paperback version of Elixir Bound (and probably some other surprise swag, which I’ll promptly send off to you once it’s released).

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